Symbol Context

[SwordGuyJoe]

All,

I am the proud owner of this little wakizashi by Horii Hideaki, but I am curious about what the symbol actually stands for.  As context the sword was made when Hideaki was 33, so I believe the is what the "三三" stands for, but even on the sales page they refer to the symbol as "記号" or "Symbol".

 

Here is the link: http://www.tsuruginoya.com/mn1_3/a00414.html

Better pics can be found here: http://www.samuraishokai.jp/sword/11324.html

 

Thanks!

 

[SteveM]

The clue is in the last sentence of the description

 

茎に刻まれた記号は、当時、政府の要請より文官用に製作されたことをあらわしている。

 

The symbol inscribed on the tang indicates this was manufactured by the government for civilian use.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Interesting. I've never seen that before. I wonder if there are more of these. Made by the government for civilian use? Any guesses on what that means?

[SteveM]

I think mostly ceremonial swords presented by the government. Maybe given to politicians, nobility, community leaders, police chiefs, fire chiefs, etc...

[SwordGuyJoe]

That makes sense. Thank you as always!

[george trotter]

Interesting, I couldn't find that kanji in Nelson. So if it is not a kanji it is a "symbol" that means gift?...as in "gift number 33".

I ask because I thought it might be reisho script for a normal kanji saying (maybe) "day 33" ?

Here is something very similar...a reisho writing for jitsu (hi).

 

.

[Stephen]

I thought i might have been a four so not to put shi as in death...

[SwordGuyJoe]

I would doubt day, since it's not near the nengo. Perhaps it's just coincidence that the sword was made when he was 33, but if this is "gift 33", you would assume there would be at least another 32 of these out there. Not impossible that they are out there, but at that many, I'd have thought we'd have seen at least a couple more.

 

[k morita]

Steve,
Thank you very much for your wonderful English translation of the seller's the last sentence of the description.
[The symbol inscribed on the tang indicates this was manufactured by the government for civilian use.]


George,
Thank you for your nice example of the inscription.
Yes, it's says 吉祥日(lucky day, auspicious day).


Joe,

Nice find,It's an unusual Tanto and good shape.
I don't believe the seller's last sentence of the description.Does this seller have any evidence?

The carved Tanto like a Soshu Sadamune doesn't look good on civilian officers of the government.

The "Symbol" means 日 in Tensho style Kanji.
In this case,日(Nichi in Japanese) is the first one letter of a company name of Nippon Seiko Syo,日本製鋼所(The Japan Steel works L.T.D)(JSW) in Muroran city,Hokkaido.

Horii Hideaki family moved to Hokkaido from Tokyo to get a job to JSW in July, 1918(Taisho 7th year).
After that he has constructed an workshop and has begun sword making a little by support of this company.
therefore,the number of sword making in 1918 and 1919 is a small number.


I used pictures from a book [NSW and Zuisen sword making workshop] pub 1974.

Aattached Tanto(oshigata) is also dated in 1919, Hideaki made it.

[k morita]

next, table.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Wow! Very very insightful. Thank you very much

[Brian]

Wow. Incredible information Morita san. :clap:

That chart will have to be saved for future use. It is extremely interesting, giving the number of swords made each year.  Thank you for your help as always.

[SwordGuyJoe]

I used pictures from a book [NSW and Zuisen sword making workshop] pub 1974.

Aattached Tanto(oshigata) is also dated in 1919, Hideaki made it.

Thank you again! What is the name of the book and the author? I would like to buy a copy.

[SteveM]

Great info, and just goes to show you (me) that even the Japanese dealers sometimes don't know what they have. 

[SwordGuyJoe]

It's interesting to me that the example doesn't state a number, but mine does. I looked to see if 3 is particularly lucky, making it doubly lucky being 33, but I could not find anything. Any guesses on why there wasn't consistency in marking each blade with the "production number" if that is what the number states?

[k morita]

Joe,
This is one of best reference book for researcher of Hideaki / Toshihide swords.

 

Title: [Regarding The Japan steel works LTD, and Zuisen sword making workshop ]
Author: Kenzo ADACHI, Deputy Chief of General affairs department of The Japan steel works LTD, in Muroran.
Publication year:1974.

Pages 81.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Thank you! Can you include kanji? I can't find the book with the English title.

[k morita]

Title:
日本製鋼所と瑞泉鍛刀所について

Author :
安立健三

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning all.,

 

I think the plant at Muroran started off as a joint venture with Hokkaido Coal and U.K. company  Armstrong Whitworth (later Vickers/Maxim Ltd) c.1907?

 

See note 17:

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sGpaCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA177&lpg=PA177&dq=armstrong+vickers+in+Japan&source=bl&ots=LQEVgS6bq0&sig=vRbL3gR1MMXauYfz_MGCGBn7X7I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZsqeqmvTLAhXJWxoKHXFwDMAQ6AEILTAC#v=onepage&q=armstrong%20vickers%20in%20japan&f=false

[george trotter]

That is great information Kiyoshi sama,

 

An interesting discussion.

Regards,

[Kiipu]

On 4/3/2016 at 5:58 PM, k morita said:

This is one of best reference book for researcher of Hideaki / Toshihide swords.

 

Morita san, thank you for the picture of the front cover of the book.  While looking into the Horii line, I ran across another source of information that may be of interest to you.  It is an article entitled 瑞泉鍛刀所百年の歩み and it can be downloaded over at the Japan Steel Works webpage.

https://www.jsw.co.jp/ja/product/technology.html

 

For those that rather not navigate through a Japanese language webpage, below is a direct link to the PDF article.

瑞泉鍛刀所百年の歩み 100 Years of the Zuisen Japanese Sword Smithy

[mecox]

Kiipu

that is a really good paper from Japan Steel Works (2019/12/23; No. 70) about Horii smiths, with some good pics.  It supports the Horii 1996 book you listed in your bibliography written by Horii Tanetsugu. It shows the line of Horii from Toshihide (see Slough p.173) to Tanetsugu (1996 book) to Tanetada (JSW paper).  Thanks for posting.

[Kiipu]

Besides the above references, Guy (AKA ghp95134) over at War Relics Forum (WRF) has a pamphlet from the Japan Steel Works (JSW) that depicts all of the swordsmiths.  He even shows an example of a business card which I found rather interesting.  It is worthy of a look if you are so inclined.

The Emperor’s New Clothes, Post #37

 

[Bruce Pennington]

I'm playing Catch-up - So the mark is a logo, of sorts, for the Japan Steel Works?  We have several similar stamps that use the first kanji of a shop/forge/company name.  So it's logical.  What I'm wondering is that the 3 examples are all on a single smith's work, Hideaki, correct?  Unless he's the only smith working for JSW, we should see other smiths with the mark?

 

Can you guys with the books give me some names of other JSW smiths that I could search for?

[Kiipu]

The whole clan can be seen at Tokyo Kindai Tosho Index, starting at V. Hanazawa Tanren Jo (羽沢鍛練場) and the Horii (堀井) Group.

[Kiipu]

Below is the transcription, reading from right to left, of the book cover shown in Post #16.  Any comments or corrections welcomed.

Column 1: 講演資料 = kōan shiryō = lecture materials.

Column 2: 昭和四十九年九月十四日 = 1974-09-14.

Column 3: 第十回刀苑合同研究会 = Dai-jū-kai tōen gōdō kenkyūkai = ??????????.

Column 4: 室蘭全国大会 = Muroran zenkoku taikai = Muroran National Convention.

Column 5: 日本製鋼所と瑞泉鍛刀所について = Nihon Seikōjo to Zuisen Tanto-Sho ni tsuite = About The Japan Steel Works and Zuisen Sword Forge.

Column 6: ㈱日本製鋼所室蘭製作所 = KK Nihon Seikōjo Muroran Seisakujo = The Muroran Factory of Japan Steel Works Co., Ltd.

Column 7: 総務部長代理　安立･健三 = Sōmu buchō dairi Adachi Kenzō = Deputy Chief of General Affairs Department Adachi Kenzō.